


What Are You Waiting For?

by KyoukaiKanata



Category: Formula 1 RPF, Formula 2 RPF
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, End Of Season Reflections, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Gen, Gentle Kissing, Getting Together, Getting to Know Each Other, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Mentions Of Romain's Accident, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Song Lyrics, Technically this is a series of drabbles, support network
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:15:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29085975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KyoukaiKanata/pseuds/KyoukaiKanata
Summary: The F1 2020 grid and two of the future 2021 rookies celebrate the end of the season and the dawn of 2021 their own way.For some this involves travelling and grand gestures, for others it just involves a room and simplicity.
Relationships: Alexander Albon/Charles Leclerc, Callum Ilott/Mick Schumacher, Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Esteban Gutiérrez & Sergio Pérez, Esteban Ocon/Lance Stroll, Guanyu Zhou/Yuki Tsunoda, Kimi Räikkönen/Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton/George Russell, Marcus Ericsson/Antonio Giovinazzi, Michael Italiano/Lando Norris, Nicholas Latifi & Carlos Sainz Jr, Nico Hulkenberg/Kevin Magnussen, Pierre Gasly/Daniil Kvyat, Romain Grosjean/Marion Jollès, Valtteri Bottas & Stoffel Vandoorne
Comments: 2
Kudos: 34
Collections: Winterbreak Writing Challenge (2020)





	What Are You Waiting For?

**Author's Note:**

> There are two songs mentioned in this fic. The main one running throughout is "Nickelback's - What Are You Waiting For?" and the second which is mentioned in Maxiel's chapter is "Edwin McCain's - I'll Be."
> 
> I love both, so I do recommend listening to them. The Nickelback lyrics especially I have used for each pairing specifically. However, the song lyrics do repeat so some will re-appear for different chapters. 
> 
> **All lyrics will be in bold and italics.**
> 
> Obviously I do not own either song, and they are solely used for fic purposes only. All rights are owned by both parties. As such, please do not share this work elsewhere without permission. 
> 
> The tagged pairings with a **&** symbol in the tags are friendship only. All others are romantic pairings. 
> 
> **This one is to celebrate my one year anniversary of being on A03 and posting my first F1 fic exactly a year ago today. Each pairing will be posted in a separate chapter and new chapter/s will be updated every couple of days.**
> 
> This is also for the **Winterbreak Winter Challenge by scarletred** for this week's challenge, as although all the chapters can be read alone, the majority of them are about individuals I haven't yet written about or haven't written much about before.

**_Are you waiting on a lightning strike?_ **

**_Are you waiting for the perfect night?_ **

**_Are you waiting 'til the time is right?_ **

**_What are you waiting for?_ **

Abu Dhabi was always a strange place at night.

Quiet.

Almost subtle.

Almost like a ghost.

It was a stark change from the atmosphere that usually occurred on a race weekend. The hustle and bustle. The constant movement of drivers, trainers, mechanics, engineers, press officers, VIP’s; everyone running and never really stopping to think.

But it was weird how somethings could change everything.

How that night in Bahrain the paddock had stopped. Almost like a hive of bees returning home to their nest. It was eerie how silence had suddenly come over them all. Everyone holding their breath, hoping for the best but secretly preparing for the worst.

Romain’s accident had made them all pause. But as they had all waited it had made him reflect. Reflect on what they were doing and what was really important. Seeing Dan’s distress as the footage had been replayed over and over had, in some ways, actually made his decision easier. He had seen the fear of would this be the third to fall within him.

And so, he had made the decision. The decision that after the race, would lead him to the small jewellery shop where he had found the perfect dark silver band. The band he had had engraved with three on one side and thirty-three on the other. The band that said more than words ever could.

Max didn't think he'd rushed into it for all it might seem to be from an outside perspective. They've been dating for long enough, if there was such a thing as long enough. He assumed four years counted, and it felt right.

After everything, it felt right.

Dan was more than just a fling. He'd always be more than just a fling. Besides, it would shock him. Everyone always assumed Dan would propose to Max. But this is Max after all. Of course, he was going to do it differently. Why be what they expect when you can be original.

Besides his feisty Australian like surprises, this would just be another one. He loved Dan, of course he did, but it wasn't like Max was going to get emotional about it.

If anyone was going to cry and get all emotional over such a thing, it would be Dan alright. Max Verstappen doesn't do loving emotions, At least not in public.

***************************

Several days later as they reached the top of the hill that overlooked the Baku circuit, and he looked across at Dan who had a soft smile on his face as he looked out over the view, all he could hear in his head was the song Dan had introduced him to, 'I'll be' by Edwin McCain and the lyrics, _**“And I'll be your crying shoulder, I'll be love's suicide. And I'll be better when I'm older, I'll be the greatest fan of your life.”**_

Somehow, he knew of all the things he had achieved this year, this would be the most important.

“Dan?”

“Yeah.”

“Close your eyes a second.”

“Dare I ask why?” Dan turned to him, laughing.

“Just do it.”

“Max?”

“Dan seriously just do it please!”

“Never thought I'd hear the day you said please to me Maxy,” Dan grinned and winked playfully, but did as Max asked closing his eyes and even pulling his cap down over them so he couldn't look.

Taking a deep breath, Max stepped forward and knelt, pulling the ring box from his back pocket and flipping it open.

“You can look now.”

Dan’s eyes flickered open as he pushed the cap back up again, and glancing at Max his jaw dropped. His brown eyes widening in shock.

"Dan, marry me?"

The bluntness of the statement wasn’t quite what Max had been going for (he'd actually practised quoting some of those ridiculously cheesy I'll Be lyrics after all), but Dan’s reaction had caused the well-rehearsed speech he had had in his head to fly completely out the window.

Dan stared at him for a moment. His eyes flickering back and forth between him, the ring and the view, fondness creeping into his gaze.

"You choose Baku?"

"That's your answer?!!" Max said exasperated, running a hair through his hair as a bright red blush filled his cheeks and he slammed the box lid shut and scrambled to his feet again. Swiping a hand across his eyes unconsciously, as they misted slightly. So much for not getting emotional, he thought, but then again he had never actually expected Dan to say no.

Dan chuckled, "Answer my question Maxy. You choose Baku?"

"I don't see what this has to do with anything!” Max snapped, “But of course I choose Baku!"

"Why?" Dan said, moving in front of him.

"Why? What do you mean why? Why do you think? Because it's the race where everything changed. Where you became more to me than anyone, and for fuck's sake Dan I’ll always want you to be. But you can just say no, you know. Like a normal person. You didn't need to change the subject complete-"

Max was cut off as Dan leant in and kissed him deeply, sliding a hand into his hair and grounding him, nibbling at his lips until they opened and their tongues duelled.

Pulling back after a few moments, Dan grinned at the dazed look in Max's eyes that always happened when they kissed. Even now, four years later.

"Yes."

"Wha-?" Max didn't seem to register the answer for a second, before Dan could see the moment realisation set in and his eye's widened. Turquoise blue meeting brown.

"Yes?"

"Yes," Dan nodded, his eyes soft as he leant forward again and kissed the tip of Max's nose, smiling as he scrunched it up at the sensation, "Always yes Maxy."

**Author's Note:**

> As always kudos and comments are greatly appreciated 💙💙
> 
> Feel free to come and talk to me on Tumblr at kyoukai-kanata (http://kyoukai-kanata.tumblr.com)


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